The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1887-10-06
EN- ROUTE TO TRIESTE.
Curious SUenary in Austria-Semi-Tro,

Curious SUenary in Austria-Semi-Tropi
cnl Vegetation of tho Adriatic.
St. Peter Is scarcely moro than twenty
five miles us the crow flies fro-n the shore Of
tho Adriatic ct Trieste. But as far as reSom-
blanco or suggestion is concerned it might be
ut the antipodeS Imagination can scarcely
conceive that o semi-tropical sea shore as
dreamy rs that of the lotus caters lies so near
to barren, wind swept hills, towering into
peaks that arc the abomination OF desolation
But though the region is curious, with its
scOoped out valleys and its SUBMITS as bald
rs the high Sierra, tho district that you ira
yerse i'll going to Trieste is far moro singular
The circular valley gives first its distinguish
ing characteristic to the scenery.
l am not in the secrets CT the biologists,
but these valleys seem to be a repetition on q
larger or smaller scale OF the depressions IN
tho limestone districts of the western states,
called sink holes" a great part Of the re-
gion Is made up of them. Sometimes they
have diameter of 100 feet, sometimes Of q
mile. In one or two cases the formation
broadens out into a circular valley several
miles in diameter, containing several villages
They are generally, however, Of moderate
dimensions, and their depth usually has a
certain correspondence with the diameter
which is usually surrounded by circular
wall, within which may be patch of grass
In summer, vineyard or little crop of
some cereal. The area Enclosed may be few
square yards or several acres, but the aggre-
gate OF fertility compared with the aggrc-
gate or barren and stony hillside indicates O
contest with nature which would appall even
the stout heart OF n farmer in northern New
Hampshire. Sometimes the form of the de-
preston IS slightly varied, and there is level
ground which has received equally niggardly
treatment from nature, elsewhere and not far
distant SO prodigal of her gifts
The road dcScends at first almost inner
ceptibly. Towns with Italian names become
tnere frequent The aspect of nature gradu-
ally brightens. There are vineyards Of GOOD
size, orchards that begin to show the semi
tropical vegetation of the Adriatic There
are hlIisides on which the work of afToresta
ton Is evident. There are others in which
Iaa little farms are laid out in long, narrow,
IlaraIIeioSrams, Ike the stripes on our ma
uonaI banner. But as one looks eff across
the barren tracts, strewn with small bowId-
erS, piled up with rocky masses, or pierced
with points, edges, triangles and fantastic
forms OF stone, mterspersed here and there
with GASES of green pasture or casual cultiva-
ton, the idea Of unkind, sullen, unrelcnt;n1
nature endeavoring to drive man from of its
face ever presses painfully upon lis spirit.
What paradise this must have been for the
men OF the stone aSe, with the material for
tools, weapons and domestic utensils SO pien-
HUI and cheap. But men who were not sava-
Ses came hero and toiIed and dcIved in the
very dawn OF antiquity, and later, when
ftomc cbsorhed Italy, when its galleys ploFed
tho Ad'latic and its cities and villages dotted
its brown shores, its efYervcscent life bubbled
up ard frothcd over this rim of hills On to
this plateau that havo cnieavored TO de-
scrioe.-Aastria Cor. San Francisco Chroni-
sc, ------